Healthy Teeth for Kansans

Request for Oral Health Grant Proposals 2006

Access to Prevention

Access to Dental Care

Background

Since 1998, when the Health Fund started providing grants to improve the oral health of Kansans, there have been many improvements in the level of attention paid to this important health issue and the integration of oral health screening and prevention measures into many services for children.

A number of communities have adopted water fluoridation
Medical practices have been introduced to the benefits of fluoride varnish for young children
Legislation has made it possible for dental hygienists to provide extended services in schools, long-term care facilities, safety-net clinics, and other public health settings.

There are more opportunities than ever in Kansas to make a difference in oral health.
Much more remains to be done to assure adequate access to both prevention measures and dental care.

Too many people remain barred from dental care because of a lack of ability to pay
Too many people have to drive long distances to find a dentist, particularly a dentist who will accept children covered by Medicaid.
Too many people lack the prevention benefits of water fluoridation, sealants, regular fluoride treatments, and screening.

The result is higher cost for everyone and unnecessary pain and health complications for those unfortunate enough to suffer untreated oral disease.

The Health Fund remains committed in 2006 to providing resources for improving access to both prevention and treatment through sustainable projects and programs that serve Kansans who need help because of poverty, geographic location, or special needs.
Health Fund trustees have committed up to $750,000 for oral health grants in 2006.

This is an invitation to submit proposals. The final decision to fund any particular project, although within the broad confines of this Request for Proposals, remains with the Board of Trustees of the Health Fund. The Health Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate receipt of requests under this Request for Proposals at any time.

Eligible Applicants

501(c)(3) organizations
Governmental entities
Professional associations for educational and public benefit projects

Size and period of grants

There is no set minimum or maximum amount of funding for a single grant. An anticipated range of grant size is shown for most categories to give some guidance to potential applicants. Funds are paid to approved projects as needed for the work. The total grant can be paid over a period of up to three years.

Access to Prevention

Goal: Expanded access to prevention through integration of appropriate oral health prevention measures into schools, medical practices, child care settings, health departments, long-term care facilities, and community water systems.

Projects to provide prevention services to persons with limited access to oral health prevention services may apply for funding to start-up, expand, or build long-term capacity.

Projects may use paid or volunteer staff, however, no project will be supported which operates primarily by purchasing services at or near market rates.

Required elements of all grants in this category are an increase in the number or people served who currently lack access to prevention measures and assurance that the service will continue after the grant ends.

The anticipated range of funding for grants in this category will be $10,000 to $50,000.

Access to Dental Care

Goal: Increase access to dental care for underserved Kansans

Grants in this category will support strategies to locate and retain dentists who enroll as public insurance providers in underserved areas of Kansas--both rural and urban. This would include recruiting dentists to serve in safety-net clinics and recruiting existing dentists to enroll as public insurance (Medicaid) providers. Grant would also support program development of safety net clinics and expanded capacity for oral health services.

Projects that engage dentists in volunteer service or service to a special needs population such as those with developmental disabilities or people living with HIV/AIDS would also be included in this category. There is a strong preference for volunteer projects to provide regular services on a daily or weekly basis rather than more episodic delivery such as once a year.

Development of statewide policies and programs aimed at workforce recruitment and retention may also be considered under this category.

Strategies may be statewide, regional, or local. Recruitment of dentists from existing practices in Kansas will not be considered unless the existing practice is in an area that is not or is not likely to become a designated underserved area.

Range of funding depends on the scope of the request, but is expected to be from $5,000 to $25,000 for local projects and from $10,000 to $100,000 for regional and statewide projects.

Process

Interested groups should communicate by phone or e-mail with program staff at the Health Fund. Through this communication, program staff can advise eligible applicants about the fit of their projects with the Health Fund’s interests as expressed in this Request for Proposals. When a project has potential to be funded, an eligible applicant will be instructed how to file a proposal.

Deadlines

There are deadlines established for grouping proposals for review by the Programming and Evaluation Committee and Board of Trustees of the Health Fund. An application is received by the Health Fund when submitted electronically or, as of the postmark date, when placed in first-class, postage prepaid US Mail (please do not send by other methods).

Proposal received by:	Funding decision by:	Funding available by:
March 20, 2006	May 19	July 10
July 10	September 10	November 10
October 9	November 29	December 29

Proposals may be reviewed by outside reviewers familiar with the subject matter of the request, and submission of the proposal grants consent for this review.

Unsuccessful proposals can be discussed with Health Fund staff to gain insight about why the proposal was not funded. In many cases, these decisions depend upon the availability of funds and perceived comparative advantage of submitted projects.

Awards

Grants are made pursuant to Conditions of Grants which require that services be provided on a nondiscriminatory basis. The Health Fund requires narrative and financial reporting from all projects, generally twice a year. Sample Conditions of Grants and reporting forms are available upon request. Appropriate evaluation must be specified in proposals and reporting is made relative to the mutually-accepted outcomes.

More information about the Health Fund’s approach to evaluation can be gained from a booklet “Evaluation: What’s All the Fuss?” available upon request from the Health Fund office.

All projects are expected to be members of Oral Health Kansas and may include membership fees in the project budget. Projects may be asked to participate in one presentation about their work; expenses related to those presentations will be paid by the Health Fund in addition to grant awards.

General Health Fund grant guidelines applicable to all projects can be found on the Health Fund website.

Contact Information

For more information about this Request for Proposals, please contact:

Virginia Elliott, Vice President for Programs
or
Kim Moore, President

United Methodist Health Ministry Fund
PO Box 1384 , Hutchinson KS 67504-1384
620.662.8586 (voice) 620.662.8597 (fax)

velliott@healthfund.org
kmoore@healthfund.org
www.healthfund.org

If you are interested in receiving notice of any amendments to this RFP or other oral health activities of the Health Fund, please e-mail your contact information to the Health Fund and indicate you are interested in on-going oral health updates.

Mission of United Methodist Health Ministry Fund :

Healthy Kansans through cooperative and strategic philanthropy, guided by Christian principles

January 2006

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